Blog Tour: Shadow of the Wolf

Young Adult Fantasy

Date Published: 11/28/12

Toby has always felt like an outcast in his village, but he thought winning a game at the Summer Fair was the answer to making friends. The local boys disagreed and literally threw Toby to the wolves. Stranded in enemy territory with a broken leg, he’s offered two options by the resident werewolves; death or permanent exile from his race.

Although Toby longs to return to his family, he chooses to live. But the werewolf children torment him just like the boys and girls back home. When he fights back and discovers he can wield magic, a crime in his old kingdom, he realizes he’s safer with the werewolves than he ever was amongst his own kind. He even finds happiness and acceptance, until his real sister contacts him with her own forbidden magic. 

Fearing for her safety, Toby must decide where his loyalties lie; with the family he grew up with or the werewolves who took him in when his own people discarded him?

Author Bio:

Stephanie Pace is an avid reader of every genre, though fantasy is her favorite.  She started writing at fifteen, and never looked back.  She currently works as a pre-K teacher by day, and a determined self-publisher by night.  When she’s not distracting herself with conlanging and world-building, she loves to do cross stitch or escape to the outdoors when the weather is nice.  She lives in central Virginia with her boyfriend, and the rest of her crazy, amazingly supportive family close by.    

Blog:  http://steph-wordbyword.blogspot.com/

Book's Website:  http://threadsofmagic.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/StephMPace

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/StephMPace

Buy the Book

Amazon Ebook Page

Guest Post:

My Top Ten Favorite Books

What Language Is by John McWhorter

I hope a nonfiction book is allowed on this list. As an avid conlanger from the age of twelve, I have devoured everything I can about linguistics. This book is my favorite, because the writing is so straight forward and approachable. A just plain enjoyable read.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

An intelligent heroine, who acts, not just reacts. An arrogant, but ultimately sweet hero. And in the end they both admit they’ve made mistakes, and grow as people while remaining as strong as they were in the beginning. What’s not to love?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’m a sucker for all things Roaring Twenties. This novel brought that decade alive for me. My favorite character was Daisy, and my heart broke for her. It still does every time I re-read, though I also want to shake her.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

I was never into urban fantasy until I read this novel. Patricia Briggs made a modern day world of werewolves, vampires and fae seem utterly believable, like it could be hiding under the surface of our world right now. I love the entire Mercy series, but this will always be my favorite.

Hogfather by Terri Pratchet

I’ve never laughed harder then when I’m reading Terri Pratchet. Hogfather was my first introduction to this brilliant author, and it remains my favorite of his Discworld novels. I love his take on mythology and fantasy, and the message of how important it is to believe.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

There was something wonderfully epic about this novel that captivated me. An alternate history where the Black Plague wiped out 99% of the European population, and the novel follows a handful of reincarnated spirits through multiple lives. I was awed by the amount of research this must have taken, and I loved every word of it.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

I’m glad my relationship with my mother is not this complex, but I loved being immersed in Sidda Walker’s Louisiana upbringing. Such a bittersweet story about broken dreams, and family.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I love learning the story from the villain’s point of view, and this novel provided an even more complex, and detailed prospective than I imagined. I loved Elphaba, even though she is by far not a lovable heroine. She remains very much the Wicked Witch of the West.

Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood by Holly Lisle

I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but I loved this novel. Something about Lisle’s writing pulls me in and I can’t stop reading. The fact that the story includes a pretty wicked sci-fi take on vampires doesn’t hurt.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

This is the first book I remember reading by myself, and I still enjoy reading it. ‘Nuff said.

My Thoughts: 

This is a fun fantasy story that I think teaches a great lesson! Toby goes through a lot and comes out stronger for it! It was a fast read, that had really solid world building and character development! I found myself rooting for Toby and loving his story immensely! 

This is described as a young adult story, but I am a 32 year old woman and loved every page of it!  

The Ferryman and the Flame Teaser WITH A Giveaway!

"The truth hurt.
The book hit the floor with a thud and Kemplan leapt out of his large leather chair at the sound.
His pipe slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor as he turned in the direction of the sound,
exploring the corridor. Another book hit the floor and the old librarian jumped. Only he and the
Scryes were allowed to tamper with the books. Even in that capacity the Scryes were only allowed to
touch books they had been told to touch. He straightened his back, pulling his vest taut over his
round chest. He was going to yell at whoever it was when another stack of books hit the floor. He
inhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes as he headed to the nearest row of shelves and peered down
its length. It was empty, but his ears perked up when he heard a faint snarl. He quickly rounded the
shelves and stopped dead in his tracks, heels digging into the wooden planks.
Tor stood surrounded by a pile of books. His back turned, a cloak concealing the shiny gray
scales trailing up and down his humanoid form. He muttered an incantation and held his hands out
over the books.
Kemplan gasped as a spark hit the paper, bursting the pile into flames. “No!”
Tor turned, his gray, scaly face contorted in malice. His hood fell around his shoulders, showing
off shallow horns, spiked ears, and scaly head. Claws for hands clenched at his sides, and in a swift
move he drew Kemplan from the pile of burning books to the wall above the fireplace, catching his
throat in the vice grip of his hand.
“What did you do with it?” Tor seethed.
Kemplan struggled to catch his breath as cold reptilian fingers with talon-like hooks dug into his
thin flesh. A drop of blood oozed from a wound on his neck; he coughed. “The books . . ."
“Forget them. What did you do with the parchment?”
Kemplan’s eyes widened at the mention of it. He had forgotten all about the loose page that had
fallen from the highest shelves, the one he had thrown so carelessly into the fire. He was bound by
the laws of the Great Hall and the law stated he wasn’t allowed to destroy anything unless it was by
Tor’s command. He hadn’t even thought of it when he saw the images of the Ferryman and the
Flame. He thought it was something that had long been destroyed. He stopped kicking and stared
into Tor’s gold, lightning-filled eyes. They were like their own self-contained storms, irises spiking
with jagged black lines every few seconds.
A growl rumbled in Tor’s throat, low and ominous.
“I burned . . . it,” Kemplan said, barely."
 from JUSTICE: The Ferryman and The Flame



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Blog Tour: Desert Flower

Upper YA - Women's Fiction

Date Published: 1/21/2013

Bodies have a canny way of finding Samantha Jean Haggert—the first, the dead body of her mama; the second, a naked man in the middle of the Arizona desert. For Sam, dealing with one dead body in her lifetime is more than unfair. Two is downright cruel.

Seven years after running from West Virginia, Sam's now a young woman of nineteen, trying to put the pieces of her life together with the help of her family—Jacob, Boone, and Laura. But the naked man in the desert spirals her world out of control, resurrecting past hurts and revealing old secrets. It also pits against one another the two men who vie for her heart: Carson, her friend, her first kiss, and the one man who knows everything about her past and loves her despite it; and Turner, the stranger who knows nothing, but who excites and frustrates her all at once.

When bad choices made as a child lead to more bad choices as a young adult, Sam finds herself at a crossroads, forced to face her demons head-on if she plans to have any future at all—with Carson, with Turner, or with anyone. But fixing the wrongs of the past takes time, and learning to forgive one's self is damn near impossible.

Visit old friends in this harrowing sequel to Desert Rice, in which award-winning author Angela Scott brings back the characters so many readers have loved. 

Author Bio:

I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.

I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.

As a child, I never sucked on a pacifier; I chewed on a pencil. I’ve been writing that long. It has only been the past few years that I’ve pursued it professionally, forged relationships with other like-minded individuals, and determined to make a career out of it.

You can subscribe and follow me on my website, where I blog obsessively about my writing process and post updates on my current works. I’m also on Twitter and Facebook, but be forewarned, I tweet and post more than a normal person.

Website: www.angelascottauthor.com

Twitter: @whimsywriting

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaScottWriter

 Buy Links:

Amazon

DESERT RICE 

DESERT FLOWER 

Barnes & Noble:  (DESERT FLOWER SHOULD SHOW UP THERE SOON)

iTunes: (DESERT FLOWER SHOULD SHOW UP THERE SOON)

My Thoughts:

I actually just finished reading this book, like five minutes ago. I just sat there with my mouth wide open like a dummy. This book is good y'all! VERY good. I did not expect it to have this sort of effect on me! I almost cried like 3 times while reading it. My emotions! GAH! Serious business this book! It's not fluffy and it's, at times, VERY heavy. Tons of intense things happen. 

I have to admit that I was already a fan of Madam Scott's. I love her zombie novels, and have reviewed them in the past so when I saw this book I snatched it up! She did not disappoint! Nope, no zombies in this book, but I still LOVED it. Sam is such a strong/tragic/emotionally damaged character, you can't help but love her, even when you know she'd doing dumbassed things! She's human. She's scarred and broken, but she's beautiful nonetheless. It's been AGES since a book has moved me like this! 

I will say that this is a sequal to Desert Rice, a book I have yet to read, but that did not stop me from understanding the events of this book. If ANYTHING it shows how amazing Angela Scott is at writing, because without knowing what happened in the first book..with slowly understanding Sam's past..I STILL felt connected and still felt like I knew what was going on. 

This book is intense and wonderful and full of amazing writing..I feel as if I am gushing, but it's the truth. Read this book. Do it! 

  

Blog Tour: Tin Cat

Science Fiction Romance

Date Published: March 4, 2013

Synopsis:

 A year after the accident that put her in a wheelchair, Amber Gerald has more or less gotten used to living with her impairment. It doesn’t make a difference to running a comic book store anyway, and the customers have been the best support group she could have wished for.

When she rescues an abandoned cat, Amber has no idea that she’s interfering in the mad scheme of a time travelling bank robber. Or that the man that walks into her store dressed like Blade is about to become her bodyguard.

Between being an unwitting owner of an android cat and falling for a cybernetic bounty hunter, Amber finds her life a whole new level of weird as science fiction becomes a very real factual threat.

My Thoughts

This book was pretty fun. It has cheesy elements, sarcastic elements, and romance-y elements! All the good stuff that makes for a quick, delightful read! I loved the sci fi (ish) elements. I had a few formatting issues with my copy which kind of rattled me out of the story, but I won't hold that against Misa Buckley. Tin Cat starts off by introducing us to Amber and her life. She's normal. She's got her problems, obviously, but she's living her life and not looking for anything to come and change that, but change it does! She finds Cat and along with that she finds Gray, a bounty hunter from the future. Things get very interesting, very fast and you will have fun going along too.

Blog Tour: The Life and Dysfunction of Nadine Daniels

Mystery

Date Published:1/13/12

 Nadine Daniels’ life is a disaster.  The security company that she owns is being sued, her mother is coming to visit for a week, and some unpleasant realities about her “charity” work are about to surface.  She thought this was as bad as it could get, but she was wrong—dead wrong.

Someone believes she knows a secret – a secret worth killing for.  With assassins tracking her every move, Nadine wishes the only thing she had to worry about was her mother pestering her to settle down with her suspected live-in boyfriend, Zeke, but she can’t think about the future when the 

present might end with her death.

Author Bio:

Hadena James began writing at the age of eight. As a teenager, she had several short stories

published in literary magazines. She completed writing her first novel at the age of 17.

Hadena graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in European History with minors in

German and Russian studies. She has always wanted to be a writer so she also took several classes

in creative writing.

Hadena’s primary literary genre is action/thriller. She currently writes two series, both use action/

thriller. “The Brenna Strachan Series” uses fantasy and the “Dreams & Reality Series” uses murder

mystery as its secondary genre. She continues to explore and expand her writing and hopes to soon

produce a comedic action/thriller.

When she isn’t busy writing or running her business, Hadena enjoys playing in a steel-tip dart

league. She also loves to travel throughout North America and Europe. Her favorite cities are

Chicago, Illinois and Berlin, Germany. She is an avid reader, reading everything from the classics

like Jane Austen to modern writers like Terry Pratchett. One of her all-time favorite books is “Good

Omens” by Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett. She writes all of her books while listening to music

and the bands tend to get “honorable mentions” within the pages.

hadenajames.wordpress.com

Twitter:  @hadenajames

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/hadenajames

Buy Links 

Amazon:  

B&N: 

Guest Post:

Authors that have inspired me

There are really five authors that have truly inspired me to hone my craft and follow my passion.

George Sands and Alexander Dumas are probably at the top of the list and not because I’m a huge fan of what they wrote. I actually don’t like anything they wrote, but because they did it despite what everyone thought they should be doing. Both went through serious societal ostracizing for their writing. I admire them for believing that their passion for the art was more important than what society thought of them.

Edgar Allen Poe is on the list for nearly the same reason, although I do like his works. Not only did he buck societal norms and explore the darker side of humanity, but he struggled with his own demons to do it. He also spent most of his life impoverished for following his passion (for both writing and drinking).

The struggles of the three writers mentioned above have inspired me to write because I do not face the same problems. I am free to practice my craft and spread my talent without fear of retribution, because they paved the way for it.

The final two I admire for solely for their talent.

We’ll start with HP Lovecraft. No author has ever terrified me or inspired horror in me like Lovecraft. He was truly a master of his craft. His use of exposition to set-up a tale or describe a scene is awe-inspiring. His short stories had a profound effect on me and while I will never be able to emulate him, he inspires me to write my exposition in such a way that my readers are also able to “see” what I have written.

The final author is Leo Tolstoy. I absolutely hate Tolstoy. I have read dozens of his novels and short stories while working on my degrees and found that there is no author on the planet that I hate as much as Tolstoy. But Tolstoy was a master of understanding his characters. The psychology that goes into his sordid array of tortured souls and damaged psyches is amazing. His characters are robust and full, not the flat characters so often found in novels... Of course, this is part of the reason for the epic lengths of his novels. Still, I find his character creation to be magnificent and it inspires me to create robust characters.

Blog Tour: The Savage Boy

Description:

Amid the Wasteland remains of a world destroyed by a devastating Global Thermonuclear Armageddon, barbaric tribes rule the New American Dark Age. A boy and his horse must complete the final mission of the last American soldier. What unfolds is an epic journey across a terrifying post-apocalyptic tribal America gone savage. Jack London meets The End of the World.

The Author:

Nick Cole is a working actor living in Southern California. When he is not

auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot,

kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for

their projects, he can often be found as a guard for King Phillip the

Second of Spain in the Opera Don Carlo at Los Angeles Opera or some

similar role. Nick Cole has been writing for most of his life and

acting in Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Army.

• Website 
•  Goodreads
• Twitter
• Amazon

The Savage Boy by Nick Cole

Genre:

Science-fiction

Publisher:

Harper Collins Imprint: Harper Voyager

On-Sale:

February 26

Purchase:

The SavageBoy

The Oldman And The Wasteland

My Thoughts:
This book is the 2nd in a series, so I was a big lost starting out. It was probably an oversight on my part, but it did hinder me going in. If I had to do things differently I would have started the series from the start. HOWEVER, The Savage Boy had that post apocalyptic feel that I love. The writing is very stark, and Boy is a very interesting and curious character. I definitely had the urge to give him a big hug, yet I knew he would probably scalp me or something. 

I thought this book was great! It would have, obviously, been much better if I had read the first book. All in all,  Nick Cole has made a interesting world where life is pretty bleak but there are those that are trying very hard to survive. It's world building like this, that makes me a happy happy girl! 
 

Follow The Tour

Blog Tour : At First Touch

Young Adult Paranormal

Date Published: 5/28/12

Liz Hannigan has been on the run since she was twelve years old.

 Her mother is dead. Her father has lost his job. And thanks to an experimental procedure, Liz is now able to ‘download’ the contents of every brain around her with a simple touch. Forced to hide from both the federal government and a darkling group of morally deficient scientists known as the Coalition determined to exploit her abilities, she moves with her father to the bucolic coal town of Pound, West Virginia. 

But the hunt for Liz and her abilities hasn’t ended, and her hopes for peace are shattered when she inadvertently downloads the enigmatic Carey Drake, whose unusual good looks and charm conceal a secret as shocking as her own. Stunned by the knowledge that she has found someone else who has extraordinary abilities, Liz finds herself drawn to Carey, discovering a deep attraction, and dares to hope for the first time she might find love. 

But when an agent of the Coalition begins stalking her, Liz must find a way to work with the government agency she most mistrusts as she strives to build a longed-for normal life and take down the agent who has tracked her down. Caught up in a struggle to save herself and those she loves, the girl who sees all is blind to true danger until it is too late. 

Virtual Book Tour February 25 - March 15

February 25 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

February 26 - Cozie Corner - Review

February 27 - The Writing Junkie - Review/Guest Post

February 28 - Taking it One Page at a Time - Review/Guest Post

March 1 - Must Read Faster - Review/Guest Post

March 2 - In This World of Books - Review

March 2 - Tana Rae Reads - Review/Guest Post

March 3 - Books and Needlepoint - Review

March 4 - Getting Your Read On - Review

March 5 - Read, Review, Smile - Review

March 6 - Owlnestly Book Reviews- Review

March 7 - Inside BJ's Head - Review

March 7 - Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books -Review/Guest Post

Mattie Dunman

Author Bio:

Mattie Dunman is a lifelong resident of "Wild & Wonderful" West Virginia, and has dreamed of being a writer since she first held a pen in hand.

Mattie has pursued several useless degrees to support this dream, and presently enjoys teaching (or tormenting, as the case may be) college students the dying art of public speaking. She spends most of her free time writing, but also indulges in reading and traveling.

She is the proud owner of an adorably insane American Eskimo named Finn, and a tyrant cat named Bella, who take up more of her attention than they probably should.

Mattie is currently working on the second book in the First Touch series, and is ecstatic about her new release, At First Touch.

www.mattiedunman.com

http://www.goodreads.com/MattieDunman 

Buy Links 

Amazon 

Excerpt:

I was out on the main road and about twenty minutes into my run when I heard the sound

of a motor gunning and the beep of a horn. I slowed my pace and turned around to see Preston’s

truck chugging along about two hundred yards behind me. His head was out of the window and

he was screaming at me; I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I felt pretty confident that

it wasn’t complimentary.

I came to a stop, wondering if I should do something. I wasn’t really concerned; it wasn’t

as though he would run me over or anything, but the blind hatred on his face made me a little

nervous. Finally, I decided to ignore him and let him get his fill of throwing abuse my way and

then drive on past. Picking up the pace again, I resolutely faced forward, pretending that the

continued screeching behind me was a trick of the wind.

Suddenly the engine gave an almighty roar and I heard the unwelcome sound of

squealing tires. With only a second to register that I had vastly underestimated Preston’s anger

and mental instability, I swirled around in time to see the grille of the truck just a few feet from

my face. I made to jump out of the way, but all my knowledge and stolen tricks didn’t make me

fly, or move faster, or be any less breakable than any other human being. I knew in that moment

how useless my ability really was. In the face of the giant metal monster brimming with torque,

my mind was of no matter, it just screamed out with the desire to live, to keep going.

There was a blow like a train hitting me, but strangely there was no pain, and I was

moving faster than I could have imagined away from the truck and into the field next to the road.

I was sure that the truck had hit me and I was just flying through the air to my death, by some

fortunate stroke lucky enough to be spared the pain of impact. In another instant the movement

had stopped and I realized I was being held in a pair of strong arms against a rock-hard chest.

Carey looked down at me, his eyes frantic. “Are you alright? He didn’t hit you, did he?”

“N-no,” I stuttered. Having downloaded Carey I was aware of his incredible speed, but

there’s something very different about knowing something theoretically and experiencing it

firsthand.

He put me down gently in the grass and I just sat there, too dumbfounded to speak. Even

as he anxiously surveyed me for damage, we heard the rending scream of out of control tires and

the heavy metal sound of Preston’s truck crashing into something.

“I’ll be right back,” Carey said and then I blinked and he was gone.

 GUEST POST:
 

What if we were all telepathic...

When I sat down to write At First Touch, I wasn’t thinking about developing a character who could read minds. I was creating someone who had seen the worst of people and was still fighting. As the story developed, it became clear that Liz’s ability to ‘download’ the minds of those around her wasn’t the main problem; it was how people in power perceived her and sought to use her for their own purposes.

But it got me thinking. There are so many books, movies, etc. about people who can read minds or other variations on the theme. What is it about knowing the thoughts of everyone around us that is so fascinating?

When I was a lowly undergraduate, I majored in Psychology. I’m one of those people who can be standing in line at a grocery store and have the person behind me tap my shoulder and tell me their life story, and the thought of pursuing that odd knack as a career was tempting for a while. It certainly gave me lots of inspiration as a writer; but I think the real draw was that elusive idea that learning about the brain would make it easier to read people, understand the way they think, why they behave the way they do. In short, I wanted to be a mind-reader.

Everyone is a bit of a mind-reader. It’s how we know to stop asking the boss for a raise when he gets a certain tone in his voice, why we recognize when our significant other is about to end things, or how we know the time is right to ask our parents for that raise in allowance. We base our reactions on a lifetime of memories and precedence, and most of the time we’re right.

So why do we dream about more?

I recently read an article about developments in ‘synthetic telepathy,’ which is intended to create a connection between our thoughts and technology. So eventually, this area of research hopes to produce the ability to send a text or email with a thought, to give commands on a video game telepathically, along with other, more practical implementations. Can you imagine if covert military operatives were able to communicate brain to brain instead of relying on whispers or signals? Or individuals suffering from strokes, ALS, or other debilitating conditions that prevent speech being able to hold conversations in their heads? The implications are staggering.

Of course, I wasn’t thinking about any of this when I created Liz; I just wanted to see what it would be like if she were burdened by knowing everything about anyone she came in contact with, and how that would change her as a person. And I’ve come to the conclusion that even if mind-reading technology comes along in the near future, I want to stick with the old-fashioned kind and just try to gauge the mood of whoever I’m talking to by using facial expressions and tone of voice.

After what I’ve put poor Liz through, I don’t know how much of a ‘gift’ mind-reading really is.

My Thoughts:
Simply put this is a story about a wanting a normal life. Liz wants nothing more than to be an average girl, but her abilities and circumstances make that very difficult for her. Yes, I know this sounds like every other PR novel out there, but believe me. This one is very good. The characters are developed perfectly, and the plot is crafted in such a fun way that I couldn't put this book down!

Great characters, solid writing, and a smooth quick pace makes this a MUST have for anyone!